This invention relates generally to packaging for electronic hardware and more particularly to packaging of microwave components.
As is known in the art, to maintain proper operation, microwave circuits must be protected from environmental conditions such as moisture. Accordingly, such circuits are often environmentally sealed in packages. One such package is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,409 issued Feb. 9, 1988, to George R. Lehman, entitled "Microwave Circuit Package Connector", and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. That package includes a radio frequency (RF) conductor, or trace which carries RF signals to or from microwave circuits disposed within the package. Also, the package includes direct current (DC) conductors, or signal lines which carry power to the microwave circuit elements inside the package.
As is also known in the art, the conductors connecting circuit elements inside a microwave package to external components are not generally environmentally sealed. Therefore, such connections can be easily harmed by environmental factors such as moisture.
One way known in the art to counter this problem is to encapsulate the entire microwave system in a sealed container. However, this method of protecting the connections creates many problems. For example, it is more costly to produce. It also makes assembly and repair of the system more difficult.
It would therefore be desirable to have a simple environmentally sealed connector for carrying both RF and DC signals to a sealed microwave circuit package. Such a connector, though, must remain moisture sealed even if there is thermal expansion or contraction of the package or the connector.